Folding car-step



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

I. W. PLECK.

FOLD-ING GAR STEP.

Patented Nov. 11,11884.

inirm.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2;

(No Modell) I. WQPLEGK,

FOLDING UAR STEP.

Patented NOV. 11, 1884.

lllllllllllllll lll IINrrnn Srafrns FA'rnNT Ormes.

ISAAC W. FLEOK, OF OHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

FOLDING CAR-STEP.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,935, dated November11, 1884.

Application tiled July 22, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern..-

Be it known that I, IsAAo W. FLnoK, acitt zen of the United States, andaresident of Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State ofTennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldingCar-Steps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improved folding car-steps adapted to be readilyfolded upl and closed to prevent access to the car, or to be opened toallow access to the platform of the car.

My invention also relates to a gate which is mounted upon the mechanismwhich turns the steps up and down, so as to close when the platform isfolded up and open when the platform-steps are let down, all of whichwill be fully setforth in the description of the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a front elevation of my improve meut shown attached to theplatform of a car in position for use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my improvement attached to a car.Fig. et is an elevation showing the rod on which the gate and operatingmechanism journal. Fig. 5 is a central sectional view of the stepsfolded up. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the transmitting mechanism forfolding and unfolding the steps.

A represents the corner-posts of an ordinary car; B, the nose-piece orouter sill of the platform; a, the outer edge of the ordinary platform;b, the vertical partition of the first step of the platform.

My folding steps are attached to the caras follows:

C represents a bracket attached to the sill of the car, in which isjournaled a revolving shaft, D.

d represents the sill of the car at the edge of the platform, in whichrod D also journals for its rear support. A similar journal-suspendingrod, G, is attached to the opposite side of the car.

F represents a bracket attached to the nosepiece B, through the eye ofwhich bracket-rod G journals, the rear end of said rod journaling in theplatform, as shown at d, Fig. 2. To these rods D and G are attached myfolding steps.

@represents sprocket-`wheels j ou rnaled upon the shafts D and'G.

f represents a beveled gear keyed upon rod G.

H represents a bracket attached to the nose piece B, in which isjournaled a shaft, I.

h represents asegmental pinion keyed upon rod I, and meshing with thegear f, so that as the shaft I is turned in its journal-supports, rotarymotion is imparted to rod G, and by means of sprocket-wheels c and chain.I an opposite rotary motion is imparted to shaft or rod D.

represents rods which connect the terminal ends of the chain .I orsecure swivels K, so that the chain may be taken up or let out. Theshafts D and G are intended to move onehalf a revolution as the chain Jmoves a corresponding distance over the sprocket c,which allows thelink-rods i and swivelsh to be employed without their passing over thesprocket-wheels. The upper end of rod I journals in the bracket K, whichis secured to the nosepiece B opposite the hand-rail K', as shown inFig. 4.

0 l 2 represent the folding steps,whieh are made of separate pieces ofmetal or wood,and suspended to folding side plates 3 4 5 by hinges 6 78. -These hinges may be of any style of construction, but a rule-jointhinge is preferred. The side pieces 3 4 5 are in turn hinged tostationary side pieces L, as shown rods D and G, so that side pieces Lact, in fact, as crank-arms to fold or unfold the steps when the shaftsD and G are turned. One of these folding crank end pieces, L, is shownin elevation in Fig. 3 attached to rod G. The inner end piece, L,attached to rod D, is the counterpart of this in construction andoperation.

rlhe parts b 10 ll represent the vertical partitions of the steps, thepart ll being attached to step 2, part 10 to step 3, the part b beingstationary or immovable.

In order that the steps 0 l 2 may fold up so as to be in a horizontalplane when folded up and form a platform,step 2 must move farther thanstep 1 and step 1 farther than step O. Suppose the vertical portions ofthestep b to in Fig. 3, which are rigidly secured to the i IOC be eacheight inches in depth, then step 2 must be moved up twenty-four inches,step 1 sixteen inches, and step O eight inches, to be on a level.

In order that the parts may retain their relative positions, Iprovidelugs Z on the steps 1 2, which move in slot-s m in the verticalpartitions 11. These lugs and slots also form stays to prevent lateralmovement of the parts when in position for use, and for this purpose thelugs Z may have heads upon them to prevent their being pulled out of theslots m. It will be seen that the steps 0 1 2 are hinged to the foldingside pieces 3 4 5, which are in turn hinged to the folding` crank-armson end pieces, L, also forming the side partitions of the steps.

The steps are folded as follows: Vhen shaft I is turned,the segment II,meshing with gear F, revolves with it, and turns rod G to the right. Thecrank-arm or partition L, secured thereto, is moved half a revolution,so that it projects verticallyT upward instead of vertically downward,as shown in Fig. 3. This vertical position is obscured in Fig. 5 by thefolding pieces 3 4 5, which are each separately hinged to the crank L byhingejoints O, the steps 0 l 2 being hinged to parts 34 5 by joints 6 78v. The opposite end of the steps, folding partitions L, and foldinglinks 3 4 5 are attached to shaft D, and moved in the same mannersimultaneously with the part just described.

E represents a weighted arm attached to rod G, so as to balance theweight of the steps and to assist in raising them. A spring coiledaround the shafts might be used for the saine purpose. The steps 0 1 2are brought nearly on a level with the platform a when the steps areraised, and the hinged folding partition L and the parts 3 4 5 aredoubled together and rise vertically above the plane a a', as shown inFig. 5. Thus the steps 0 1 2 serve as a platformextension.

In order that the platform may be properly guarded, I mount a swinginggate, N, on the rod or shaft I, so that it may be turned by means ofgate N a quarter of a revolution to move the shaft D and G one-half arevolution. Gate N is open when the steps are let down, and swingsagainst the hand-rail at the end of the platform parallel with thenose-piece B. It is turned outward a quarter of a revolution E to foldup the steps7 and rests vertically across the front edge of thisextension-platform, at

the point c. It is not shown in this position in the drawings.

p q represent brace arms attached to the frame r of the gate.

l? represents a latch which engages with a catch attached to thehand-rail of the platform of the guard secured upon nose-piece B, andwhen the steps are folded `up it is locked to a catch fixed upon thevertical end of the car, and holds the steps in a fixed position. It maybe secured by a padlock or by other fastening devices, so as to preventit being opened by unauthorized persons. This mode of constructing thesteps allows themy to be readily folded up when not desired to be used,and readily let down for use by simply opening and closing the gate.

I do not wish to limit myself to the specific means for imparting motionto the foldingshafts BA and G, or for conveying motion from one shaft tothe other, as various mechanical devices equivalent to those hereinshown may be employed for that purpose, and still obtain the samegeneral results as I have shown and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination withthe platform of a car, a series of folding steps, 0 1 2, suspended bylink or hinge connections to cranks L, at-

tached to the shafts D and G, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with a series of folding steps suspended fromcrankshafts D G, mechanism for imparting motion to the shafts D G, andoperated by shaft I, substantially as specilied.

3. In combination with shaft I and a series of folding steps journaledupon shafts which are operated by a vertical shaft, I, a gate, N,adapted to open and close simultaneously with folding and unfoldingsteps, substantially as specified.

4. In combination with the platform of a car, the folding steps 0 1 2,suspended upon crank-shafts D and G byI means of crank-arms L, links 3 45,hinged thereto, and the hinged folding steps 0 12,0perated by adriving-shaft,

I, substantially as specied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ISAAC W. FLEGK.

Witnesses:

M. E. IWIILLIKAN, Josnrrr W'. SIMS.

ICO

